HYSICAL 




.N. BUNKER 




Book. , : 

GopyrigME? 



CQEOUGHT DEPOSIT 



PHYSICAL TRAINING 
FOR BOYS 




John Rowett, 
Twentieth-Century Apollo. 



PHYSICAL TRAINING 
FOR BOYS 



BY 



M. N. BUNKER, D.C, M.PED. 



ILLUSTRATED WITH THIRTY-SIX EXERCISE POSES FROM 

PHOTOGRAPHS, AND FROM OTHER PHOTOGRAPHS 

SHOWING REMARKABLE PHYSICAL 

DEVELOPMENT IN YOUTH 




BOSTON 
LOTHROP, LEE & SHEPARD CO. 



Published, August, 191 6 






Copyright, 19 16, 
By Lothrop, Lee & Shepard Co. 



All Rights Reserved 



Physical Training for Boys 



SEP -1 »^3iB 



morwcvofc press 

BERWICK & SMITH CO. 

Norwood, Mass. 

U. s. A. 

OCLA4875J3 / ^ QV 



PREFACE 

TN order to build and develop a 
-*- strong, healthy body as a founda- 
tion for powerful and self-reliant man- 
hood, it is but reasonable that a boy 
should begin very early in life to 
strive toward a physical ideal. Such 
an ideal should represent not only 
physical perfection but also the possi- 
bilities which the body itself affords 
for self-improvement. Both of these 
truths have been held constantly in 
mind in the preparation of the exer- 
cises and instructions presented in 
the following pages ; an arrangement 
which makes them available to the 
single boy, working alone and without 
[7] 



PEEFACE 

apparatus but impelled by admiration 
and appreciation of physical beauty 
and skill, and also to groups of boys 
working together toward physical per- 
fection. 

My deepest appreciation is due my 
grandmother, Mrs. Bathsheba New- 
man, for the high ideals inculcated 
during my early boyhood, and also to 
Harry Lening, Archie Gillespie, Edwin 
Russell, Harry Paschall, and Robert B. 
Snyder, Jr., for their hearty coopera- 
tion in arranging the illustrations. 

If the boys of to-day, inspired by the 
accomplishments of these, their fellows, 
equal any standards which may have 
come down as a heritage from previous 
ages, my reward will indeed be suf- 
ficient. 

The Author. 
[8] 



CONTENTS 



I. 


Ancient Ideals 


13 


II. 


A Boy and His Body 


20 


III. 


Powerful Lungs, and Their 
Development 


26 


IV. 


Your Shoulders and Arms . 


41 


V. 


Your Center of Strength 


58 


VI. 


Building Internal Strength 


71 


VII. 


The Food You Eat . 


82 


VIII. 


The Hips 


90 


IX. 


Strengthening the Body Sup- 
ports 


106 


X. 


The Feet, and Their Care . 


118 


XI. 


Sleeping, Bathing, and Grow- 
ing 


123 


XII. 


Building by Bathing 


129 


XIII. 


Your Weight and Measure- 
ments 


136 


XIV. 


Work and Play 


146 



[9] 



ILLUSTRATIONS 

[In addition to thirty-six full-page half-tones from 
photographs of athletes showing proper manner of 
taking specified forms of exercise.] 

John Rowett : Twentieth-Century 

Apollo (Page 1 68) . . . Frontispiece 



FACING PAGE 


Paul Maass ..... 


• 150 


Robert Snyder, Jr 


- 154 


Tweed Stafford . 


. 156- 


Wilbur B. Zeigler . 


. 160 v 


Edwin Russell ..... 


162 


Walter Laughton . 


. 166' 



[11] 



PHYSICAL TRAINING 
FOR BOYS 

CHAPTER I 

ANCIENT IDEALS 

T^HE ancients considered the human 
■*■ body the most wonderful creation 
known on earth. The boys of Rome 
who lived hundreds and hundreds of 
years ago were taught that they should 
train and develop their bodies ; they 
were expected to spend some time each 
day in the great gymnasiums, and to 
practise diligently the exercises which 
they learned, so that they could have 
perfect bodies. They studied the differ- 
ent drills and learned which kind of ex- 
[13] 



PHYSICAL TRAINING FOE BOYS 

ercise was the most beneficial, just as 
the boys in this Twentieth Century 
master their spelling and arithmetic 
lessons. They did this because the 
people at that time believed, and 
rightly, too, that if the body were 
not given care and were not trained 
and improved, the mind would not be 
as active as if the body were kept 
healthy and clean. 

As soon as the boys became proficient 
in the gymnasium, they were given the 
opportunity to participate in the great 
Olympic games which occurred every 
four years. There were contests in 
boxing, wrestling, foot-racing, and all 
other athletic sports, in each of which 
those boys who had gained strength 
and skill were allowed to engage. 
These contests lasted for several days, 
[14] 



ANCIENT IDEALS 

and the winners were crowned with 
wreaths of sacred olive leaves, and 
were borne on the shoulders of their 
friends through the streets of the city, 
in much the same way that the success- 
ful athlete of the present is carried by 
his admirers. Their names were re- 
corded among those who had done 
some great thing for their country ; 
poets praised the athletes in verse, and 
sculptors made statues of them, show- 
ing their physical perfection ; and these 
statues were placed in all the great cities 
throughout the country. The govern- 
ment specially honored each of the win- 
ners in the different sports, because it 
was believed that their development 
and skill were pleasing to the imagi- 
nary gods whom the people wor- 
shipped. These gods were thought to 
[15] 



PHYSICAL TEAINING FOE BOYS 

represent the different kinds of phys- 
ical perfection, and were supposed to 
favor those who gained physical power 
and beauty. 

There were a great many of these 
gods that were worshipped because of 
their physical loveliness, but two of 
them may well be studied by the boy 
of to-day who wishes to develop his 
muscles and have a strong body. 
These are Hercules and Apollo. 

Hercules was short in stature, with a 
small head resting on a thick, short 
neck. He was massively built, and 
every movement of his body indicated 
strength and power. It is said that he 
lived out-of-doors, and, although so 
wonderfully strong, was always ready 
to undertake anything which would 
increase his muscular ability. He was 
[16] 



ANCIENT IDEALS 

of a kindly disposition, and ever ready 
to lend his great strength to aid those 
who needed help. 

Differing in all physical character- 
istics from Hercules, his brother, 
Apollo, was the deity that the Roman 
youth were taught to adore and accept 
as their ideal. The beautifully rounded 
muscles of Apollo were what those boys 
longed to equal, and what caused them 
to give their best efforts to making 
their own bodies perfect. Well might 
they take Apollo as their model, for 
statues made to represent him show 
that he was beautiful in every way. 
Quick and supple, rather than slow 
and cumbersome in movement, and 
with grace and beauty in ever}^ line of 
his frame, he stood for the highest 
achievement in physical development. 
[17] 



PHYSICAL TBAINIKTG FOE BOYS 

He was taller and more slender than 
Hercules, with a face and head indicat- 
ing the highest degree of intelligence. 
Besides being a god of physical beauty, 
Apollo was said to be proficient in 
music and all other arts, and was be- 
lieved to favor those who developed 
their minds as well as their muscles. 

Both of these gods originated in the 
minds of the earliest civilized people, 
who, in their daily fight with the wild 
things of nature, came to worship 
strength and the power to overcome in 
physical combat. As time passed, agil- 
ity, massive power, endurance, beauty, 
and suppleness came to be embodied 
in imaginary beings whom the people 
worshipped, and in this way the love 
and adoration of physical strength was 
handed down from earliest man as a 
[18] 



ANCIENT IDEALS 

heritage to the boys of Rome and 
Greece, in the personalities of Apollo 
and Hercules. 

And so, though these boys are spoken 
of as the ones who first tried to make 
their bodies perfect, the real love of 
strength which inspires every true boy 
is one that existed long, long before the 
boys of Rome were striving to attain 
the flawless beauty and the enduring 
strength of Apollo. 



[19] 



CHAPTER II 

A BOY AND HIS BODY 

T~?VERY true boy desires to make 
■*— ' the most that he can of his body ; 
he wants a clear brain, strong lungs, 
and muscles that he may use in the 
hardest kind of exercise without fa- 
tigue. Never have the opportunities 
for developing such a body been greater 
than they are to-day. 

When the Roman boys were learning 
to train their muscles the people did 
not know as much about the different 
parts of the body and their workings 
as they do now, and so the young stu- 
dents were compelled to practise many 
exercises which were not especially 
[20] 



A BOY AND HIS BODY 

helpful. All this, however, has been 
changed for the boy of the Twentieth 
Century. When he wishes to develop 
and improve his chest muscles, all he 
has to do is to select certain exercises 
which affect those muscles, and then to 
practise them vigorously until the mus- 
cles have become as large and strong as 
he wants them. In the same way he 
can select other exercises which benefit 
other parts of the body, and by spend- 
ing only a few minutes each day in 
practice, may develop his body just as 
thoroughly as did the first boy athletes 
who were striving for perfection. 

Those boys who were trained in the 
gymnasiums of Greece and Rome grew 
to be perfect physical men ; and be- 
sides this, their minds were equally 
strong and capable of performing great 
[21] 



PHYSICAL TRAINING FOE BOYS 

tasks. They became the greatest poets, 
the most wonderful painters, and the 
best architects that have ever lived. 
They were able to do this because when 
they were young they developed strong 
bodies so that they could have great 
minds. 

Everything that they accomplished 
may be equalled by the boys of to-day 
if they will do their best to make every 
part of their own bodies as nearly per- 
fect as possible. It is not necessary 
that they go to some gymnasium or 
that they have a great deal of apparatus 
in order to do this. A boy's body is so 
arranged that he can develop and 
strengthen every part of it with exer- 
cises which he may perform in his own 
room, and without any apparatus other 
than that which is provided by the 
[22] 



A BOY AND HIS BODY 

muscles themselves. The structure of 
the human framework is so planned 
that certain muscles do certain kinds of 
work, and other muscles do exactly the 
opposite, and when these muscles are 
caused to work against each other, both 
sets will be made more efficient. It is 
such drills as these that any boy may 
practise, and if he will do the work 
with energy and a determination to suc- 
ceed, he may acquire as beautiful a form 
and have as much strength as he would 
have if he followed the old Roman cus- 
tom of gymnastic training. 

Although machinery of any sort is 
not necessary in building strong mus- 
cles or in making the body symmet- 
rically beautiful, there may be some 
boys who will want to use a few pieces 
of apparatus in their practice bouts. A 
[23] 



PHYSICAL TKAINING FOE BOYS 

punching-bag, with light dumb-bells 
and Indian clubs are all beneficial to 
some extent, but even these should be 
used for only a few minutes each day. 
It is important that a boy be very care- 
ful about undertaking such work, for 
his body may be easily injured while 
he is growing. And if he does hurt 
himself in any way during the time 
when his bones and muscular tissues 
are forming, it may take years and 
years to overcome the effects. 

Just as satisfactory results may be 
obtained by following the exercises 
which are presented in the following 
chapters. These drills may be per- 
formed by any boy in his own room, 
and if every stroke is made with force, 
the muscles will soon show a decided 
improvement in both strength and 
[24] 



A BOY AND HIS BODY 

form. A little rivalry will add greatly 
to the enjoyment of the work, and if 
two or three boy friends can arrange 
to do their exercises together, each 
striving to surpass the others, they 
will find the practice period one of 
the pleasantest parts of the day. 

But no matter what the circum- 
stances or conditions under which a 
boy may work, if he will study his 
body and learn what it needs, and 
then practise energetically, he will be 
able to achieve strong and beautiful 
muscles and the symmetrical lines of 
Apollo. With such a physical foun- 
dation he may attain the highest 
honors in every great mental and 
physical undertaking. The entire 
world is open to him — the physically 
trained American boy. 
[25] 



CHAPTER III 

POWERFUL LUNGS AND THEIR DE- 
VELOPMENT 

r THHROW back your shoulders, head 
•*■ erect, and take a deep breath. 
How the blood rushes through the 
veins, and every part of the body 
tingles with life ! This is the result 
of having a great lung capacity. And 
that is exactly what every boy needs. 
He should have it, because on the 
amount of pure air which he takes 
into his body depends largely whether 
he will be strong or weak ; and he 
must have well-developed lungs if he 
is to have the finely formed chest 
which is necessary in making his body 
[26] 



POWEEFUL LUNGS 

symmetrical. When the chest is hol- 
low and sunken, the whole body looks 
weak, while a broad, well-muscled chest 
is a sure sign of physical and mental 
power. 

The building of powerful lungs is 
not a difficult task ; it is merely giv- 
ing the cells which compose the lung 
tissues all of the work that they can 
do, and, as they grow stronger and 
larger, increasing their duties. There 
are thousands of these little air-cham- 
bers, and when a breath is taken into 
the body, these cells expand until they 
are full. If a great deal of air is taken 
in at one time, all the lung cells are 
filled, and it is such breathing which 
furnishes the exercise that causes them 
to grow. 

In appearance, the lungs resemble a 
[27] 



PHYSICAL TEAINING FOE BOYS 

pair of sponges, one on the right side 
and one on the left side of the body, 
just below the collar-bone. Below 
them is a very powerful muscle called 
the diaphragm, and at the sides, and 
back, and in front they are protected 
by the ribs. There are twelve pairs of 
these slender bones attached in the 
back to the backbone, while in front 
some of them are fastened to the 
breastbone and others are held in 
place by muscles. There are muscles 
between the other ribs also, and it is 
these muscles which raise the ribs when 
the lungs are expanded in breathing. 
The more air that is taken into the 
body in each breath, the farther the 
lung tissues will expand and push out 
the ribs, making the chest broader and 
larger. 

[28] 



POWEEFUL LUNGS 

Now if a boy takes only a little air 
into his lungs there will be no work for 
a great many of the air-chambers, and 
after a while they will become useless, 
just as an arm would lose its strength 
if it were tied to the body where it 
could not be exercised. But if all the 
little air-cells are filled with air every 
time a breath is taken they will grow 
and become stronger, just as the arm 
develops when it is exercised. And 
there is a very special reason why a 
boy should have big, powerful lungs. 
There are a great many little veins 
running through the lung cells, and 
these little veins bring the blood from 
all parts of the body to be purified in 
the lungs by the air. When the lungs 
are small and cramped, they will not 
hold enough air to purify all this 
[29] 



PHYSICAL TEAINING FOE BOYS 

blood, and so a part of the impure 
or dirty blood has to go back over 
the body without being cleansed. 
When it has to do this, the whole 
body suffers for lack of the new food 
which should have been brought by 
the blood from the lungs. The mus- 
cles cannot be developed when they 
are not properly fed, and the whole 
body will become weak because the 
lungs have not done their work as they 
should. 

Because of this, every boy should give 
first attention to developing a large 
lung capacity, and to gaining a full, 
broad chest. This will be easy for him 
to do, because he can practise taking 
deep breaths at almost any time, and 
after a few weeks it will become a habit 
to breathe deeply all the time. Any 
[30] 



POWEEFUL LUNGS 

boy can increase his chest measure 
several inches in a few months by doing 
this, and by practising a few simple 
exercises that will affect the muscles of 
the chest. At the same time he will 
be assisting all the other parts of his 
body to keep in the best of condition. 
His brain will be clearer, and all his 
organs will perform their work as they 
should, because they will be supplied 
with the blood which has been purified 
in the lungs. 

Any exercise which will make a boy 
breathe deeply and cause him to use his 
chest muscles vigorously will be bene- 
ficial, but the work supplied in these 
drills will be especially helpful in in- 
creasing the size and endurance of his 
lungs, and in making his chest broad 
and beautiful. 

[31] 




Figure 1. 



POWERFUL LUNGS 

Exercise 1 
Stand erect with feet close together 
and arms hanging loosely by sides 
(Fig. 1). Raise the arms slowly, in- 
haling at the same time, until the 
arms are level with the shoulder (Fig. 2). 
Hold in this position while counting 
1-2-3-4-5; then gradually lower the 
arms to first position while exhaling. 
Do not count aloud, but think the 
numbers. 

Exercise 2 
Instead of lowering the arms as in 
the previous exercise, keep on raising 
them until they are straight up from 
the shoulders and every part of the 
lungs is filled with air (Fig. 3). Retain 
the air in the lungs while lowering the 
arms to the sides. Hold this way for 
a moment, and then slowly exhale. 
[33] 




Figure 2. 




Figure 3. 



PHYSICAL TKAINING FOE BOYS 

This may be found rather difficult at 
first, and if so, it should not be re- 
peated more than two or three times. 

Exercise 3 
Hook the first finger of the left hand 
into the first finger of the right (Fig. 4). 
Slowly push the hands out from the 
chest, all the time trying hard to 
pull the hands apart. Continue until 
the arms are almost straight (Fig. 5), 
This drill may be varied and made 
more difficult by assuming a squatting 
position, at the same time balancing 
the body on the toes. Other fingers 
may be used also as a change. 

Exercise 4 
Draw the shoulders as far downward 
and forward as possible. After they 
[36] 




'• Id RE 4. 




Figure 5. 



POWERFUL LUNGS 

are as far as they will come, make 
another effort to force them still far- 
ther forward and downward (Fig. 6). 
This drill exercises all the chest mus- 
cles, and should be much practised by 
every boy with round shoulders. 

All these exercises should be done 
with energy. They should be repeated 
until the body becomes somewhat tired, 
but not exhausted. A few minutes 
each day should be devoted to per- 
forming them, and if this is done, a 
great deal of improvement will soon 
be noticed. 

There should be one invariable rule 
regarding clothing: It should be loose 
enough to permit the lower part of the 
body, as well as the chest, to expand 
freely. This is absolutely essential in 
acquiring correct habits in breathing. 
[39] 




Figure 6. 



CHAPTER IV 

YOUR SHOULDERS AND ARMS 

SEVERAL years ago a boy neighbor 
of mine was telling me how strong 
he was growing to be ; and the first 
thing that he did was to roll up his 
sleeve, and press his fist up to his 
shoulder that I might feel how large 
and firm his muscles were. And this 
is a good way for any boy to feel ; he 
should work to have well-developed 
arms and shoulders, so that he may 
be able to use them a great deal with- 
out becoming fatigued. All through 
the hundreds of years since first man 
lived in caves, strong arms and shoul- 
ders have been symbols of bodily effi- 
[41] 



PHYSICAL TRAINING FOR BOYS 

ciency ; and when these muscles are 
well-developed their perfect lines add 
greatly to the beauty of the entire 
body. 

As the foundation for the muscles 
of the shoulder there pre two bones — 
the scapula and the clavicle, or as 
they are more commonly known, the 
shoulder-blade and the collar-bone. 
The shoulder-blade is the flat, tri- 
angular bone which may be felt at 
the back of the shoulder. It is held 
in place by a number of different 
muscles which are attached to it, 
and by the clavicle. This is a long 
slender bone which extends from the 
upper part of the breastbone to where 
it joins the scapula in forming a hol- 
low socket or cup. Any boy can easily 
learn the shape and position of this 
[42] 



YOUK SHOULDEKS AND AEMS 

bone in his own body and he will see 
that if it is not well covered by a firm 
coating of muscular tissue, that it may 
be easily injured in a fall or by being 
struck a hard blow. But nature has 
amply provided for this protection by 
covering the entire shoulder with one 
great muscle. This muscle is brought 
into play in every movement of the 
arm that is outward or upward, and 
when well developed it gives the 
shoulder the beautifully rounded 
curves which a boy should strive to 
possess. 

If it were not for the shallow cup 
formed where the two shoulder-bones 
join, a boy would not be able to throw 
a ball nor swim, nor make any one of 
hundreds of movements that he can 
make with his arm. As it is, he may 
[43] 



PHYSICAL TEAINING FOE BOYS 

do all these things because this bony 
socket allows the rounded head of the 
upper arm-bone to move in almost 
any direction without difficulty. From 
this ball-and-socket joint at the shoul- 
der, the long slender humerus or upper 
arm-bone extends to the elbow, where it 
is fastened in a hinge joint. 

When a boy brings his fist up to his 
shoulder he will find a swelling of 
muscle about half-way from the shoul- 
der to the elbow, on the front of his 
arm. This is the biceps muscle, which 
covers all the front part of the hume- 
rus, and that draws the lower arm and 
hand toward the shoulder. When the 
arm is in this position, it is straightened 
or extended by another great muscle 
called the triceps, which is found on 
the back of the arm. These two mus- 
[44] 



YOUE SHOULDERS AND ARMS 

cles work in opposition to one another 
and so any exercise that furnishes work 
for one will benefit the other. 

In the lower or forearm there are 
two bones; the ulna is the longer and 
is on the side of the arm that the little 
finger is on, while the radius is the one 
which may be felt on the side toward 
the thumb. This bone gets its name 
because it radiates or moves around the 
ulna in turning the hand. It, like 
the ulna, is fastened at the elbow 
to the humerus to form a hinge joint. 
There are a great many different mus- 
cles located in the lower arm, but they 
have long and difficult names, and 
it is sufficient to know that some of 
them are used in turning the hand, 
others in moving the arm upward and 
downward, and still others in gripping, 
[45] 



PHYSICAL TKAINING FOE BOYS 

lifting, and pulling. All these lower 
arm muscles are connected with the 
wrist while some extend into the hand 
controlling the action of the fingers. 
For this reason, any exercise that will 
benefit the lower arm will also serve to 
develop and strengthen the wrist and 
hand. And it is very necessary that 
they be strong, for a boy's arm is no 
stronger than its weakest part ; and in 
the same way, if the muscles in his 
hands are not firm and strong, it will 
lessen the usefulness of the entire arm. 
It is not very difficult to find exer- 
cises that will employ all the shoulder 
and arm muscles, but it will mean hard 
and regular work to give them the 
strength and form of perfection. But 
the boy who will give this attention to 
these muscles will find that the time 
[46] 



YOUE SHOULDEES AND AEMS 

has been well spent ; he will be able to 
row a boat or throw a ball, or do any 
kind of arm work without becoming 
tired or spraining a wrist or shoulder. 

There are other exercises than those 
given here, but these will bring all the 
different muscles into play and after a 
boy has practised them until he has 
learned their effect, he will be able to 
originate others which will help him to 
acquire powerful and beautiful arms 
and shoulders. 

Exercise 5 
Assume an erect position with feet 
close together. Tense the muscles of 
the back and shoulders, and raise the 
half-doubled arms from the body 
(Fig. 7). Resisting all the time with 
the back muscles, raise the fists up to 
the forehead (Fig. 8). Hold a second, 
[47] 




Figure 7. 




Figure 8. 



PHYSICAL TRAINING FOE BOYS 

and then force back to first position. If 
properly done this will soon tire the 
shoulder muscles, and a change may be 
made by raising the arms directly up 
from the first position, the upper 
shoulder muscles resisting the upward 
movement. 

Exercise 6 
Hook the third fingers together, 
directly in front of the breastbone 
(Fig. 9) ; tense the muscles of the arm, 
and resisting with the left, pull the 
right arm around until it is straight 
out from the side (Fig. 10). Hold while 
counting five, and reverse to normal or 
first position. Now move the left arm 
out, resisting with the right. Be sure 
that both arms are kept tensed, and use 
all of the power possible in the move- 
ments. Vary by changing the fingers 
[50] 




Figure 9. 




Figure 10. 



YOUR SHOULDERS AND ARMS 

used. Beneficial to all the arm muscles 
and to the fingers. 

Exercise 7 
Erect and with shoulders back, clasp 
the left hand with the right as shown 
(Fig. 11). Grip as tightly as possible 
and resisting with the left hand push the 
right hand in toward the body (Fig. 12). 
Repeat until tired and change to the 
left side. This is excellent for the fore- 
arm and wrist muscles. 

Exercise 8 
Clasp the left hand in the right, 
directly in front of the chest. Now 
with the right hand push the left hand 
out to full arm's length (Fig. 13), resist- 
ing determinedly all the time with the 
muscles of the left arm. Continue un- 
til tired, and then change by using the 
[53] 




Figure 11. 




Figure 12. 




Figure 13. 



YOUR SHOULDERS AND ARMS 

left hand to push the right one. This 
exercise affects all the muscles of the 
arm, hand, and shoulder. 

Always breathe deeply while perform- 
ing these exercises, as well as at all 
other times. Have plenty of fresh air, 
doing your practice in the open if pos- 
sible. If this cannot be, do the next 
best thing — have the windows open 
wide. 



[57] 



CHAPTER V 

YOUK CENTER OF STRENGTH 

IKE to swim and climb! What 
-*— ' boy does not? And this is the 
very thing that goes to make the back 
broad and strong and beautiful. Every 
great athlete has had such a back, and 
every boy should have it because the 
back is the center of the whole muscular 
system. It is in the back that a boy 
should be strongest because all the 
muscles of the legs and shoulders de- 
pend on it for help in performing their 
work. Even the muscles of the chest 
are made stronger when those that 
cover the back are developed. 

Besides this the condition of the back 
[58] 



YOUE CENTEE OF STRENGTH 

has a great deal to do with the appear- 
ance of the body. When the muscles 
are firm and smooth, they add greatly 
to the beauty of the whole form, while 
when they are weak and poorly devel- 
oped, the entire body lacks graceful 
lines, even though the rest of the mus- 
cular system is perfectly developed. 

In the very center of the back, ex- 
tending from the base of the skull to 
the hip-bones, is the backbone. This 
is the most peculiar structure in the 
whole body. Instead of being one long 
bone, it is built up of twenty-four lit- 
tle, irregular bones joined together by 
little cushions of cartilage. If these lit- 
tle cushions were not there, it would be 
impossible for a boy to walk or run or 
jump without breaking the bones; and 
it would be the same way if there were 
[59] 



PHYSICAL TEAINING FOE BOYS 

just one long bone. But as it is he may 
bend forward or backward or from side 
to side, and may twist and turn in al- 
most any way with perfect ease. This 
is because these little cushions are so 
pliable that they absorb all the shock 
that would come to the bones in each 
movement. 

Fastened to the backbone are the ribs 
which give shape to the back, And 
over this framework there are situated 
a great many muscles, one of which is 
of special interest. It has been called 
the "climber's muscle, " because it is used 
most in climbing. The boy who swims 
also gives this muscle a great deal of 
work, and will soon have it as well de- 
veloped as his friend who climbs trees 
and fences. But if he does both of 
these things, he will be giving it just 
[60] 



YOUR CENTER OF STRENGTH 

what is needed to make it firm and 
strong. It covers the entire back from 
the armpits to the hips and may be 
easily felt with the fingers when the 
back is tensed. 

There are two other muscles which a 
boy may easily locate with his fingers 
when the shoulders have been pushed 
back. Of course he cannot feel these 
in his own back, but may easily find 
them in the back of some boy 
friend. When they are tensed and 
forced into view they form two ridges 
lying close together between the shoul- 
der-blades. 

These muscles are brought into use 
in backward movements of the head 
and shoulders. Rowing and steady 
pulling, as in a tug-of-war, furnish most 
excellent emplovment for them, and 
[61] 



PHYSICAL TEAINING FOE BOYS 

they will soon show a great improve- 
ment in form as well as being stronger 
and more enduring, if such sports are 
practised regularly. Unless his back is 
very poorly developed indeed, a boy 
can usually locate these two upper 
muscles, and will be able to watch their 
progress from the very first. If he 
will do this, he will soon find that there 
is no greater game than that of body- 
building for giving keenest enjoyment 
coupled with beneficial results. 

Here are some exercises which are 
easily performed and which will make 
this great game more interesting each 
day, while at the same time helping a 
boy to build these muscles along with 
those of other parts of his body. In 
this way he will come to have an even 
development in all parts, and this will 
[62] 



YOUR CENTER OF STRENGTH 

mean that he is gaining a perfect phys- 
ical structure. 

Exercise 9 
Bend the body forward and clasp one 
leg just back of the knee (Fig. 14). 
Resisting with the leg muscles, slowly 
assume an erect position (Fig. 15) with 
the leg straight in front of the body. 
Hold for a second, and return to posi- 
tion. The resistance of the leg should 
be gradually increased in order to secure 
the best results. This benefits the whole 
back, but especially the lower part. A 
variation may be made by using the 
other leg, or by placing the hands 
above the knee. 

Exercise 10 
Lie flat on the floor, face downward, 
and with the fingers interlaced back 
[63] 




Figure 14. 



FlGL'KU 15. 



PHYSICAL TRAINING FOE BOYS 

of the head (Fig. 16). Keeping the 
shoulders and legs rigid slowly raise 
the feet and head from the floor 
(Fig. 17). This will bring all the back 
muscles into action and should be re- 
peated until they are tired. 

Exercise I J 

Standing erect, place the hands on 
the legs just below the hips (Fig. 18). 
Tense the back and force the shoulders 
backward (Fig. 19). This is very good 
for the muscles just below the shoul- 
ders and also for the arms. 

Remember to have plenty of fresh 
air while exercising and to breathe 
deeply then as at other times. This 
will help to send fresh blood to the 
muscles so that they may benefit by 
the exercises. 

[66] 



Figure 18, 



Figure 19. 



CHAPTER VI 

BUILDING INTERNAL STRENGTH 

\ LL the muscles which a boy has 
^■*' are not on the outside of his body 
where he can see their movements ; 
some of the most powerful are hidden 
away inside the bony frame where they 
perform their work day after day, in- 
voluntarily, without a thought or effort 
on the part of their owner. One of the 
most important of these is the stomach. 
A great many boys do not know 
that this is a muscle, but it is, and 
may be developed just like the muscles 
of the arms and legs. It should be, 
too, for it has a great deal of work to 
[71] 



PHYSICAL TRAINING FOE BOYS 

do ; all the food which is carried over 
the body by the blood, and that is used 
in building up the muscles, has been 
through the stomach. It was there 
churned back and forth until it was 
broken up into tiny particles that 
could be absorbed by the blood and 
carried to the tissues of the body. 

If a boy could see his own stomach 
he would find that it is a long-shaped 
muscular sack, larger at one end than 
the other, and situated on the left side 
of the body just back of the lower ribs. 
At the larger end it is connected with 
the mouth by a long tube, while at 
the smaller part there is an opening 
through which the digested food passes 
into another long tube. There are two 
little valves, one at each of these open- 
ings, which close, keeping the food in 
[72] 



BUILDING INTERNAL STRENGTH 

the stomach until it has been acted 
upon by the different juices which are 
made in its lining. This is a soft, 
moist tissue which covers all the inner 
surface of the stomach. When the 
stomach is full of food, this coating fits 
smoothly but when it is empty, the 
tissue is thrown into little folds. All 
over this lining there are little open- 
ings through which a watery substance 
is poured into the stomach to be mixed 
with the food. This juice is manufac- 
tured by little glands which are located 
in the walls of the stomach. Besides 
this, there are several other juices, each 
of which aids in the process of digestion. 
But these juices must be mixed with 
the food before they can change it so 
that it may be used in building new 
bone and muscle. This is accom- 
[73] 



PHYSICAL TBADttNG FOE BOYS 

plished by the action of the muscles of 
the walls of the stomach. There are 
three coats of these muscles and each 
one has an important part to perform. 
The outer coat is a protective tissue 
and saves the second layer from injury. 
This second wall of tissue is made up 
of three different sets of muscles; one 
extending between the two openings 
of the stomach ; another all around it 
from end to end ; and the other follow- 
ing no direct course. As soon as 
food enters the stomach, each of these 
muscles begins expanding and con- 
tracting. This movement agitates or 
churns the food until it has become 
soft and mushy and the different 
digestive juices have become thor- 
oughly mixed with it. A part of this 
is immediately absorbed by the blood 
[74] 



BUILDING INTEENAL STEENGTH 

while the remainder passes from the 
stomach into the intestines where the 
process of digestion is completed. 

Now it is very plain that if these 
muscular walls of the stomach should 
fail to act, the work of digesting the 
food would be impossible and there 
would be nothing with which to build 
better muscles ; and in the same way, 
if the glands in the walls of the 
stomach should be destroyed or in- 
jured, no matter how much the 
muscles of the stomach might work, 
the food would remain unchanged and 
useless to the body. For this reason 
every boy will understand just how 
necessary it is that he have a powerful 
stomach if he is to build up the other 
parts of his muscular system, and is to 
have good health. 

[75] 



PHYSICAL TRAINING FOE BOYS 

Even though it is on the inside of 
his body where he cannot see its devel- 
opment, a boy may give his stomach 
exercise just as he does any of his 
other muscles. This may be done by 
exercising the muscles which are on 
the outside of his body over the 
stomach. The boys who wrestle do 
this in the very best way, but excel- 
lent results may be gained by practis- 
ing the drills given herewith, for a few 
minutes each day. 

Exercise J 2 
Lie flat on the back on the floor. 
Keeping the body rigid, raise the feet 
and legs straight up, and backward 
until the toes touch the floor (Fig. 20). 
Hold for a moment and then resume 
first position. Those boys who are in 
[76] 



PHYSICAL TEAINING FOE BOYS 

the habit of turning somersaults will 
find this easy to do, and it is a splendid 
way of exercising the stomach. It may 
be practised on the playground, out-of- 
doors, or inside, and is interesting as 
well as beneficial. It should be re- 
peated until the muscles become some- 
what tired. 

Exercise J 3 

Stand erect with the hands straight in 
front of the body (Fig. 21). Swing the 
arms and body to the right (Fig. 22) ; 
hold for a second and then swing back 
to first position, and then to the left. 
Like the previous exercise, this may 
be used at almost any time, and gives 
work to all the muscles about the 
waist line. 

Breathe deeply all the time ; exer- 
[78] 




Figure 21. 




Figure 22. 



BUILDING INTEENAL STKEKGTH 

cise and study the body — this will 
mean a perfect physical boyhood, from 
which every boy will grow into a fine, 
powerful maiio 



[81] 



CHAPTER VII 

THE FOOD YOU EAT 

ALONG time ago a great philoso- 
pher said, " Tell me what you 
eat and I will tell you what you are.' 7 
By this he meant that the body was 
influenced by the foods which were 
used in building it ; that if the diet was 
mostly of muscle-forming foods, the 
body would be muscular, and that the 
brain was increased by eating other 
kinds of foods. So, to be strong in 
both brain and muscle, every boy 
should supply his stomach with both 
kinds of food. 

There are a great many of these 
foods, but two of the best are milk 
[82] 



THE FOOD YOU EAT 

and eggs. These are both rich in the 
elements which build all parts of the 
body. Those boys who have lived on 
a farm, or have seen cows and chick- 
ens know that the tiny chick has only 
the food in the egg until it is strong- 
enough to break a hole in the shell, 
and that the little calf lives on milk 
for many weeks. And these two foods 
are just as good for a growing boy as 
they are for the chicken or the calf. 
They are both rich in strength-build- 
ing elements, and so not as much of 
either is required for a meal as would 
be necessary of many others. A couple 
of eggs well beaten, with a little sugar 
and a glass of milk added, are sufficient 
to nourish the body for several hours, 
and may be considered almost equal to 
a heavy dinner of other foods. 
[83] 



PHYSICAL TEAINING FOE BOYS 

Fruit and vegetables should also 
form a large part of a boy's food, and 
though it is customary to cook vege- 
tables, a great many are excellent 
when eaten raw. Fruit may always 
be used in the raw state, but of course 
should be washed free from dust and 
dirt. 

A great many boys who are strong 
and healthy do not eat meat, while 
many others use only a little of it. 
It is not necessary, either, for whole- 
wheat bread and corn bread furnish 
the same elements that are gained 
from meat, and they do not clog the 
system with as much waste matter as 
meat leaves. 

Beans, peas, and lentils are also rich 
in muscle-building qualities, and the 
boy who eats these vegetables fre- 
[84] 



THE FOOD YOU EAT 

quently may be sure that he is giv- 
ing his system the food that it needs. 
Cabbage, lettuce, and such vegetables 
do not possess the muscle-building 
value of these more starchy foods, 
but they do contain certain elements 
which are needed in maintaining 
health and keeping the entire system 
in the best condition. 

Graham bread should be used much 
more than it is; indeed, to build lasfc 
ing strength, both in muscle and brain, 
graham should be a regular item of 
diet. 

A great many boys do not like oat- 
meal or rolled oats. This is usually 
due to their improper preparation, for 
when thoroughly cooked they are not 
only nourishing but palatable. 

However, it is not only important 
[85] 



PHYSICAL TEAIXING FOE BOYS 

that a boy be careful about what he 
eats, but he should be equally so re- 
garding when and how he eats it. The 
stomach needs rest just the same as 
anything does, so a boy should eat his 
meals at certain times each day. If 
he does this, the stomach will have the 
digestive juices all ready to begin work 
when the food is taken into the body. 
But if he eats between meals his stom- 
ach does not have this rest and cannot 
do its work as it should. It is very 
important, too, that he masticate every 
mouthful until it is thoroughly mixed 
with the saliva in the mouth before 
swallowing. 

Some boys want to drink tea and 

coffee, but those who wish to become 

strong will riot, because both of these 

drinks are hurtful to a boy's system ; 

[86] 



THE FOOD YOU EAT 

he may not feel it at first, but after 
a while he is sure to be weakened 
if he drinks them. They contain no 
food and cannot help him to become 
healthy, but even if they did not con- 
tain anything poisonous, their use 
would merely mean additional labor 
for the stomach, while no part of the 
body would be benefited in any way. 
Milk and cocoa are good food-drinks, 
but neither these nor water should be 
used to wash the food into the stomach. 
Water should be used only to quench 
thirst. 

Those boys who live in cold climates 
need foods rich in heat-producing 
qualities, while those in warm climates 
merely need the things which will give 
them strength. Such foods as beans 
and potatoes will furnish the first of 
[87] 



PHYSICAL TEAINING FOE BOYS 

these, while a more general diet, in- 
cluding fruit and vegetables, is suitable 
for the latter. 

Rich foods, pastries, and candies are 
rarely eaten by the successful boy ath- 
lete, any more than by the man who 
has made a record in athletics. It is 
true that all these things have some 
value, but in most instances they are 
indigestible, and serve to overload and 
overwork the digestive system. Again, 
the lad who wins in physical or mental 
effort does not gorge his stomach but 
quits eating so that he may have an 
appetite for the next meal when it is 
served. He makes this a rule simply 
because he knows that too much work 
will ruin his internal muscular system 
just as continued hard usage will injure 
his muscles in arms, legs, or back. 
[88] 



THE FOOD YOU EAT 

And these are the methods which will 
enable all boys to keep the stomach, 
and also the entire body, in the very 
best of condition. 



[89] 



CHAPTER VIII 

THE HIPS 

A FTER a boy has developed his 
-^ *< chest and arm muscles, and has 
built up a powerful back, it may seem 
that it is unnecessary to do anything 
with the hips. But these muscles have 
a very important part in the muscular 
system. If a boy did not have hip 
muscles he would not be able to stand 
erect, nor to make any one of the hun- 
dreds of movements that he can make 
with his legs. It would be impossible 
for him to jump, or to run, or even to 
walk. He could not box, nor wrestle, 
nor row a boat, nor take part in any of 
the games which he likes, 
[90] 



THE HIPS 

The very first boy athletes who lived 
hundreds of years ago were taught 
that well-developed hips made them 
stronger and more manly; and as 
strength and manliness are the qual- 
ities which every boy should strive 
to possess, the hips and their develop- 
ment will be very interesting. 

The foundation for the hip muscles 
is two bones, one in each hip. They 
are large and irregular in shape, and, 
with a little bone which is wedged in 
between them at the back, they form a 
basin-like structure, which protects all 
the different lower organs of the body 
from any injury. It is over these bones 
that the muscles of a boy's hips work. 
There are nine of them on each hip, 
but only one is of special interest, This 
is the outside muscle which covers the 
[91] 



PHYSICAL TRAINING FOE BOYS 

entire surface of the hip ; and any kind 
of exercise that makes it firmer and 
stronger serves to develop all the 
muscles under and around it, so it is 
this muscle which should be watched in 
building the hips. 

When this great outside muscle is 
well developed a boy can easily find it 
in his own body and feel its action 
with his fingers. Stand erect, with the 
heel upon a table or the back of a 
chair, and with the leg extended. 
Tense the hips, and raise and lower the 
body slowly. While doing this, the 
workings of the muscle may be easily 
felt by passing the hand over the hip. 

In much the same way that the hips 

protect the internal muscles at the 

back, there is another important set of 

muscles which form a wall around 

[92] 



THE HIPS 

them in the front. These muscles do 
not have any bony support but extend 
from side to side. They are called 
abdominal muscles because they cover 
the cavity in which the intestines, 
stomach, and other organs are located, 
and which is known as the abdomen. 
Because they have to protect these very 
important organs, it is especially neces- 
sary that the abdominal muscles be 
very strong and well developed. In 
addition to this, when a boy strengthens 
these outside muscles he is also giving 
exercise to all the organs which they 
cover, so all that he does to make 
these muscles firmer serves a double 
purpose. 

A great deal of care should be taken 
in developing the abdominal muscles 
to train them but not to strain them ; 
[93] 



PHYSICAL TRAINING FOE BOYS 

there is a great difference in the 
results, for the boy who trains his 
muscles is building his body and mak- 
ing it more beautiful, while the one 
who strains them is doing the very op- 
posite. This is true of other parts of 
the body as well as the muscles of the 
abdomen, and the safest way to avoid 
injuring any of the delicate tissues is to 
perform each exercise for only a few 
minutes at a time until the tissues have 
gained the strength to endure hard 
work. 

Both of these great groups of muscles 
should be well developed in a boy's 
body if he is to have a symmetrical 
form. Such development may be 
gained in only a few months by prac- 
tising these exercises, which furnish 
the very work that they need. 
[94]" 



THE HIPS 

Exercise 14 
Extend the body, with the feet upon 

a stool or bench, and the upper part 

supported by the left arm (Fig. 23). 

Lower the hips as much as possible, 

keeping the arm straight (Fig. 24). 

Then raise the hips slowly, forcing 

them upward as far as they will go. 

This exercise will soon tire the muscles 

and may be varied by using the right 

arm as a support; and by using both 

arms, and resting the hips on the floor 

in a sitting posture, raising the entire 

body upward and then lowering it. 

Exercise 15 
Balance the body on the left leg ; 

raise the right foot backward and up- 
ward until it is straight out behind 
(Fig. 25). Then swing it forward to 
the same position in front of the body 
[95] 




Figure 26. 



PHYSICAL TRAINING FOE BOYS 

(Fig. 26). Repeat until the hip muscles 
are tired and then change to the other 
leg. 

Exercise 16 
Lie flat on the back on the floor, with 
the legs extended and the arms resting 
by the sides (Fig. 27). Tense the legs, 
keeping them straight, and raise the 
body straight up from the floor until 
a sitting posture is reached (Fig. 28). 
Then slowly resume the first position. 
This is excellent for the muscles of the 
abdomen if not continued after they be- 
gin to tire. 

Exercise 17 
Stand with feet close together, and 
arms raised straight above the head. 
Swing the arms and body forward 
(Fig. 29) and then backward (Fig. 30). 
This is a splendid exercise for the 
[100] 




s 




Figure 29. 




Figure 30. 



THE HIPS 

abdominal muscles and is also good for 
the back. 

Be sure that the body has plenty of 
fresh, pure air at every exercise period, 
as well as during the rest of the day. 



[105] 



CHAPTER IX 

STRENGTHENING THE BODY SUPPORTS 

npHE legs are very much like another 
■*■ part of the body — -the arms. There 
is an upper leg just as there is an upper 
arm, and a lower leg made up of two 
bones, much like the lower arm. In 
the leg, though, the bones are longer 
than those in the arm, and the muscles, 
too, need to be stronger and tougher 
so that they may better perform their 
work of supporting the body. For that 
is what the legs do — they support the 
body. Probably very few boys have 
thought just how much they have to 
depend upon the legs in the movement 
of the body, but if a boy did not have 
[106] ' 



THE BODY SUPPOETS 

legs he could not move from place to 
place, nor do anything which a real, 
live, active boy likes to do; he could 
not skate, nor play ball, nor run and 
jump and swim. 

The bone in the upper leg is called 
the femur ; it is long and slender, the 
longest human bone, and over it are 
fastened some of the strongest muscles 
in the whole body ; one of these is par- 
ticularly interesting because it is the 
longest muscle, also. It is some- 
times called the " tailor's muscle" be- 
cause when a tailor sits cross-legged 
this muscle is brought out very promi- 
nently. It commences on the outer 
side of the hip, and runs slantingly 
across the front of the leg where it is 
fastened on the inside at the knee. A 
boy when standing on tiptoe can find 
[ 107 ] 



PHYSICAL TEAINING FOE BOYS 

this muscle in his leg, and may follow 
a part of its course with his fingers. 
He will also find a very great difference 
between the arrangement of the mus- 
cles in the legs, and those in the arms. 
In the latter, the muscles which flex or 
raise the lower arm are in front, while 
in the leg they are at the back. This 
may seem strange just at first, but by 
flexing one and then tha other, a boy 
will find the explanation in the move- 
ment of his arms forward and upward 
while the foot is raised upward and 
backward. 

The muscles of the lower leg are 
mostly back of the two bones, where 
they form a thick cushion of tissue ; 
when a boy has been using them a 
great deal he can bring them out in 
firm, hard bunches by standing on tip- 
[108] 



THE BODY SUPPOKTS 

toe. This is an excellent test, too, of 
whether they are in good condition and 
will help him to learn where the mus- 
cles lose their fleshy form and become 
tendons. One of these tendons is 
longer, thicker, and stronger than any 
other in the body. It is about six 
inches long and may be easily seen be- 
neath the skin at the back of the foot 
where it enters the heel. Here it is 
like a thick cord, and is easily felt with 
the hand. 

Climbing a steep, rough hill, or 
swimming, will, if not continued to the 
point of fatigue, make both the upper 
and lower leg muscles stronger and will 
give them a beautiful shape of which 
any boy may be proud. These beauti- 
ful lines and great muscular power may 
be gained by those boys who cannot do 
[109] 



PHYSICAL TRAINING FOE BOYS 

these things, if they will put energy 
and determination to succeed in their 
practice of the few drills given here- 
with. 

Exercise 18 
Support the body on the toes, in the 
position shown (Fig. 31). Place the 
palms on the inside of the legs, and re- 
sisting with the outer leg muscles try to 
force the knees apart (Fig. 32). Relax ; 
resume first position, and repeat until 
tired. This is beneficial to the muscles 
along the inside of the leg. 

Exercise 19 
Crouch in the same position as the 
previous exercise, except with the knees 
wide apart and the hands on the outside 
(Fig. 33). Gradually force the knees to- 
gether (Fig. 34), making the work diffi- 
[110] 




Figure 31. 




Figure 32. 







jm»% 



Figure 33. 




Figure 34. 



THE BODY SUPPORTS 

cult by opposing the muscles of the legs 
against the strength of the arms. Re- 
peat until tired. This develops the 
muscles on the outside of the leg. 

Exercise 20 
Stand erect, and raise the right leg 
sideways, straight out from the body, 
until it is on a level with the hip. 
Hold for a moment and gradually lower. 
Then perform the same movement with 
the left leg, while standing on the right. 
By practising this for a few minutes 
each day a boy may not only soon be- 
come finely developed in his legs, but 
will also gain great agility of move- 
ment. 

Exercise 21 
This is for the lower legs, and con- 
sists of simply raising the body on tip- 
[115] 



PHYSICAL TRAINING FOE BOYS 

toe (Fig. 35), and then gradually lower- 
ing it. This may be varied by turning 
the heels either in or out while rising. 
When all these drills are followed for 
only a few minutes each day, they will 
give a development like that which has 
been the joy of athletes of all genera- 
tions since Rome's first body-builders, 
and will give the Twentieth-Century 
boy the perfect physique which was the 
goal of the lads who worked hour after 
hour in those " gyms " of long ago. 



[116] 




Figure 35. 



CHAPTER X 

THE FEET, AND THEIR CARE 

nnHE general efficiency of a boy's 
■*- body is greatly influenced by the 
condition of his feet; when they are 
cold, the digestive organs cannot work 
as they should, the mind cannot act 
quickly, and the whole system suffers. 
It is just the same when there is 
anything else wrong with the feet, so 
the lad who is to have good health 
will do well to care for them, and 
pay attention to their needs. 

Some boys think it looks manly to 

wear tight shoes, but they do not 

know that they are injuring their feet. 

Tight shoes do hurt the feet very 

[118] 



THE FEET, AND THEIR CAEE 

much, because they keep the blood 
from circulating freely, and so the 
waste matter is not carried away and 
there is not enough food brought to 
them to make them strong and healthy. 
This is the reason why some boys can- 
not walk very far without becoming 
tired and making their feet sore. 
Walking is such a very healthy exer- 
cise, too, that it will pay a boy to get 
his feet into condition so that he can 
walk for many miles. It was the 
pride of the youths of Rome to be able 
to run for long distances without 
fatigue ; and the Indian boys who 
were in this country when white men 
first came here could travel through 
the forests and over rough and stony 
paths for miles and miles. This was 
because they had feet which were as 
[119] 



PHYSICAL TKAIISTNG FOE BOYS 

strong as the other parts of their 
bodies. 

The boys of Rome went barefooted, 
and the Indian lads wore soft mocca- 
sins made of leather, and without 
heels. And from their ways of treat- 
ing the feet, every boy of to-day may 
learn some valuable things that will 
help him in strengthening his own 
feet and ankles. The lesson from the 
Roman is that he should give the feet 
plenty of fresh air. Some boys do this 
by going without shoes, while others 
can give their feet an air bath before 
going to bed. Remove the shoes and 
stockings and gently rub the feet with 
the hands, kneading the muscles all 
the time for several minutes. This 
will rest them after a hard day's work, 
besides giving them the air they need. 
[120] 



THE FEET, AND THEIR CARE 

The moccasins worn by the Indians 
allowed the foot to keep its natural 
position. It is a wrong idea to think 
that the foot needs to be supported by a 
high leather heel on the shoe ; it does 
not, and only by keeping a natural 
position may a finely shaped foot be 
developed. A rubber heel is much 
better than one of leather, and even 
this should be very low. 

In walking, the body should be 
relaxed and an easy swinging stride 
cultivated; this furnishes exercise for 
the whole body, and as the shoulders 
are thrown well back, and the head 
is erect, the lungs will be given the 
oxygen which they require. The boy 
who does much walking will not need 
to perform any special exercise to de- 
velop his feet, but if he wishes to have 
[121] 



PHYSICAL TEAIN1NG FOE BOYS 

such a drill, the last one given in the 
preceding chapter will furnish that 
kind of work. It cannot, though, 
give the all-round symmetry and 
power that will be gained by frequent 
long walks. 



[122] 



CHAPTER XI 

SLEEPING, BATHING, AND GROWING 

T \ 7HEN does your body grow — dur- 
* * ing the day or at night ? If 
this question were asked in some ex- 
amination at school, what answer 
would you give ? Perhaps you would 
make a guess that it was growing all 
the time until you had become a man. 
But it is not. It is only at night that 
the body gains in size, for while a 
boy is sleeping is the only time that he 
is not tearing down the cells of his 
muscles. For this reason every lad, 
no matter where he lives, should go 
to bed early. Besides this, if he is in 
bed before a late hour, he will awaken 
[123] 



PHYSICAL TRAINING FOR BOYS 

in the morning full of animation and 
will feel like doing things. 

The bed should be reasonably soft, 
but not so that the body will sink into 
and be, as it were, buried by it. A 
good mattress, or a ticking filled with 
straw, makes a much better bed than 
the feather-beds which were used. by 
the people a generation or so ago ; 
such a bed with good springs and 
plenty of bedding should enable any 
lad to get the very best out of his 
night's rest. It is better that the 
coverings be light-weight so that the 
body may be kept comfortable without 
danger of becoming too warm or too 
cold. Of course every one knows that 
all the bedding should be kept clean, 
and well aired. If, when he gets up 
in the morning, a boy will strip all 
[ 124 ] 



SLEEPING, BATHING, AND GEO WING 

the covers from the bed, placing them 
on a chair before an open window, he 
will find that he will sleep much better 
when he goes to bed. 

The best position in sleeping is with 
the legs extended and the body in the 
position shown in the picture (Fig. 36). 
There are other positions, but the boy 
who really w r ishes to become a true 
man will sleep on his side, instead of 
on the back, for that is a very un- 
healthy position. 

Even though a boy has plenty of 
sleep and exercise, there is one other 
thing absolutely essential to his hav- 
ing good health. He must have a 
clean body. The system is constantly 
throwing off poisons through the pores 
of the skin, and unless these pores are 
cleansed frequently thev will become 
[ 125 ] 



SLEEPING, BATHING, AND GEOWING 

clogged so that no more of the waste 
matter can escape through them ; when 
this happens the body becomes poi- 
soned, and sickness follows. Now no 
boy would think of poisoning himself, 
but if he does not bathe often, that is 
what he will be doing. 

Several years ago a boy who was 
going away from home to a boarding- 
school resolved that he was going to 
take the best possible care of himself 
so that he might become a winning 
athlete. The first thing that he did in 
his training was to take a cold bath, 
followed by a brisk rubbing with a 
coarse towel, as soon as he got up in 
the morning. He began this practice 
when school started in September and 
the water was warm, and kept it up all 
winter, even when it was ice cold. By 
[127] 



PHYSICAL TRAINING FOR BOYS 

spring his physical condition was su- 
perb ; his muscles were firm and 
tough, and his skin soft and velvety, 
while all his internal organs were 
working perfectly because they were 
free from poisonous substances. 

There was nothing magical in what 
he accomplished ; it w r as the unfailing 
effect of the morning bath. Every 
other boy can do just as this one did, 
and may gain just as enduring a body. 
If he does this, and has all the sleep 
that he needs, so that the body can 
repair its worn-out places and build 
larger and better tissues, he will bo 
doing much toward gaining a form 
that is flawless, and a mind that is al- 
ways dependable, fulfilling the standard 
of Apollo, set so long ago. 

[128] 



CHAPTER XII 

BUILDING BY BATHING 

HRHE great athletes, the Marathon 
■*- runners — all those who developed 
great physical prowess in ancient times 
— were the product of frequent bath- 
ing. Throughout Greece and the Ro- 
man Empire public baths were estab- 
lished by those in power, and these 
were open without charge to rich and 
poor alike. All the people frequented 
these places, sometimes a single bather 
visiting a bath several times during 
a day. This was especially true of 
the athletes who participated in the 
Olympic, Pythian, and other great 
[129] 



PHYSICAL TEAINING FOE BOYS 

games of physical skill. They fol- 
lowed this practice so that the body 
might easily throw off poisons through 
the skin. More than this, they had 
learned that the body breathes, not 
only through the lungs, but through 
the skin, and that it was essential that 
the pores be kept open to absorb the 
oxygen as they should. 

If such habits of cleanliness were 
found to be essential by the most able 
athletes hundreds of years ago, cer- 
tainly the boys of this Twentieth Cen- 
tury cannot afford to neglect such an 
important part in the care of their 
bodies. It does not take many minutes 
for a good bath, and no matter whether 
it be a quick sponge, a plunge into a 
stream or lake, or taken as a shower 
with modern conveniences at hand, it 
[130] 



BUILDING BY BATHING 

is certain to leave the body refreshed 
and every sense quickened. 

The bath water should preferably be 
either lukewarm or cold ; never, except 
as a remedial agency, should it be hot. 
If a shower bath is taken, it is usually 
better to begin with warmer water, 
gradually increasing to cold. The 
same method applies to sponge baths 
as well. It not only purifies the skin 
but also, when followed by a brisk rub 
with a medium-coarse towel, will leave 
the entire body in a glow that means a 
healthy skin, and firm muscular tissues. 

There are few healthy boys who do 
not enjoy swimming in a clear, cool 
stream, and later lying on the banks, 
letting the sun shine on their bodies. 
This is natural because it is fulfilling 
the demands of Nature for the building 
[ 131 ] 



PHYSICAL TEAINING FOE BOYS 

of the best physique : sunlight and air. 
When a boy has cleaned out the pores 
of his skin by swimming in a clean 
stream of water, they are every one 
open and ready to absorb oxygen to 
their greatest capacity. Such a supply 
is a fundamental of a skin that is to be 
kept free from disease. 

However, air is not all that the skin 
needs ; the sun shining down on the 
bare body imparts qualities that mean 
stronger, firmer muscles and a softer 
and more elastic skin. We all know 
that if plants of any kind are shut 
away from sunlight, they lose color and 
do not develop as they should. The 
same thing is true of a boy who keeps 
his body shut away from the sunshine 
all the time. For this reason the lad 
who goes swimming may well let the 
[132] 



BUILDING BY BATHING 

sun shine upon his naked body, drying 
and strengthening it. Of course these 
sun and air baths should last for only 
a few minutes — long enough to dry 
the skin of the swimmer — for the sun's 
power may do damage as well as good 
to the body, when the exposure is too 
long. The men whose names have 
been handed down to us from among 
the early athletes doubtless owed much 
of their wonderful endurance and skill 
to their manner of dressing and their 
frequent sun and air baths. 

A great many young athletes may 
not have an opportunity for out-of-door 
swims and air and sun baths, but they 
may have a substitute. The youthful 
body-builder may gain almost as much 
by taking his sun bath in his own 
room, where the sunlight may strike 
[133] 



PHYSICAL TKAINING FOE BOYS 

his body through an open window. 
This will also give him an air bath, 
just as if he were out in the open. 

These ways of bathing are not the 
only ones a boy may use — he may have 
a friction bath also. This is simply 
giving the skin a brisk rubbing with a 
coarse towel, and has the advantage of 
being available almost anywhere. It 
cleans the waste matter from the skin, 
leaving the pores open, and at the 
same time stimulates circulation so that 
new blood rushes through the muscles 
and skin, supplying them with the food 
to create new tissues. 

Although bathing is a simple thing 
so far as rules are concerned, there are 
two of these which should always be 
followed. First, never take a bath, 
and especially a water bath, just after a 
[134] 



BUILDING BY BATHING 

hearty meal. Second, do not bathe 
immediately after taking any violent 
exercise. To disobey either of these is 
to lose all the benefit from the bath it- 
self, and also may result seriously or 
even fatally. Do not do it ! 



[135] 



CHAPTER XIII 

YOUR WEIGHT AND MEASUREMENTS 

AMI tall enough ? Do I weigh as 
■*** much as I should, or am I too 
heavy? These, and similar questions 
are asked time and again by every boy 
who is interested in his own body. 
And they are very natural questions 
too ; a boy should, if he is healthy, 
have such an interest in the develop- 
ment of his muscles that he will want 
to know whether he is superior or in- 
ferior to his chums, and to other boys 
in general. 

But though this interest is highly 
commendable, it is very nearly impos- 
[136] 



WEIGHT AND MEASUREMENTS 

sible to give an answer to any questions 
about a boy's weights and measure- 
ments, as compared with other boys, for 
no table covering these points has ever 
been prepared, and there is no stand- 
ard. Prof. L. Norman Zarfos, an au- 
thority on physical training, says this 
regarding the conditions which enter 
into the consideration of the size and 
weight which a boy may attain : 
" The bony framework has much to 
do with what the size of the muscles 
should be, and that is often determined 
by hereditary conditions as well as by 
environment. I also believe that mus- 
cles have a direct influence on the bony 
framework, and that bone increases in 
size and weight according to the kind 
of exercise the muscles attached re- 



ceive." 



[137] 



PHYSICAL TRAINING FOE BOYS 

Accepting this explanation, it is clear 
that boys of the same age may differ 
greatly in their measurements because 
of their difference in form. A short, 
heavily boned lad may have larger, 
thicker legs than the one who is taller. 
Again, a boy with slender bones may 
be short and light in weight, or tall 
and heavily muscled. 

But though there are no set standards 
for a boy's muscular development, what 
boys have accomplished in different 
sports sets a goal for young athletes 
of different weights and ages. This is 
particularly true of the achievements 
of different boys as swimmers. There 
are few lads that know how to swim 
who do not enjoy being in the water. 
And this is as it should be, for there is 
no sport that a boy can enter and have 
[ 138 ] 



WEIGHT AND MEASTJKEMENTS 

more real enjoyment and true physical 
benefit than that of a swimmer. It may 
be that this explains the splendid rec- 
ords which have been made by various 
boys from time to time. One of these 
events in a recent summer shows 
what a boy can accomplish in a swim- 
ming contest. Eddie Snyder, a twelve- 
year-old, covered the fifteen miles be- 
tween Coney Island and Brooklyn 
Bridge in six hours and forty-five min- 
utes, or at the rate of a mile in twenty- 
seven minutes. Another, a fifteen- 
year-old lad, Gilbert Tomlinson, secured 
the half-mile swimming championship 
of America, while Leo Handy, a year 
older, earned the championship of New 
England. 

The following records, which may 
be taken as a standard by any boy, 
[139] 



PHYSICAL TBAINING FOE BOYS 

were made in an Elementary Schools' 
Swimming Contest in New York City : 

Weight (pounds) Distance (yards) Time 

85 20 11 4-5 s 

100 40 25 3-5 s 

115 60 38 2-5 s 

Cross country, Marathon, and short- 
distance running are all preferred above 
other sports by many boys. Others 
practise running because they can more 
easily win honors in this line, or be- 
cause they believe it to be beneficial to 
them in developing power and agility. 
It is true, indeed, that running is a 
splendid sport and that it may increase 
the lung capacity, and add to the en- 
during powers of the entire system. 
Such benefits will result from cross- 
country running only, however. Mar- 
athon work, instead of giving this re- 
[140] 



WEIGHT AND MEASUKEMENTS 

suit, is apt to do the opposite for a grow- 
ing boy. One of the greatest physical 
training authorities living has gone so 
far as to condemn Marathon running 
for boys even as old as seventeen and 
eighteen. However, the boy who in- 
dulges in running contests with those 
of his own size and ability will really 
benefit by the practice, and it may be 
safely followed unless there is some or- 
ganic cause to hinder. He should make 
it a habit to start gradually, increasing 
in distance and speed as he gains in 
strength and endurance. 

After a time, any boy, if he will care 
for his body, may come close to, if not 
equal to, the following records made by 
the boys who won in an Elementary 
Schools 7 Indoor Championship Contest 
in New York : 

[141] 



PHYSICAL TEAINING FOE BOYS 

Weight (pounds) Distance (yards) Time 

85 50 6 3 5s 

100 60 7 3-5 s 

115 70 8 2-5 s 

Well-known weight-lifters, and au- 
thorities on weight-lifting, differ very 
little in their opinions about the best 
time for a boy to begin practising 
weight-lifting. One of these, a man 
who has associated with practically all 
the " strong men" of to-day, says that 
no boy under fifteen should undertake 
this phase of athletic training. An- 
other authority, equally well known, 
asserts that eighteen or nineteen is 
young enough to begin handling heavy 
weights. It is certain, however, that 
no lad should try such work until he 
has given his muscular system a thor- 
ough training with lighter exercises ; 
on such a foundation he may usually 
[142] 



WEIGHT AND MEASUREMENTS 

safely commence weight-lifting on a 
small scale. 

Wrestling, for even young boys, is a 
splendid sport and exercise. Almost 
all those who have succeeded in de- 
veloping really splendid bodies have 
wrestled their way to their goal. The 
boys whose photographs appear in this 
book are all fond of this great amuse- 
ment, which has been handed down to 
us from earliest athletes, and which is 
to-day practised in every civilized land. 
One special advantage of wrestling is 
the fact that absolutely no apparatus is 
needed for a friendly bout. Just active 
muscles are all that is required. Even 
these are not necessary for the beginner 
but they are certain to result with only 
a few weeks of practice. 

Boxing, baseball, and many other 
[143] 



PHYSICAL TRAINING FOR BOYS 

sports are good for the boy who wants 
exercise for pleasure as well as benefit 
to his muscles. Of course, none of 
these or any other sport should be 
continued until the body is exhausted, 
for then no good, but real harm will 
be done. 

It is far better, too, that in all con- 
tests, and tests of skill and strength, the 
participants be equally matched in 
strength and ability. This not only 
makes the contest itself more interest- 
ing, but each contestant will actually 
gain in such an encounter. 

Throughout all a boy's training these 
muscle-developers count, but there is 
one thing more which the lad who is 
to gain the highest goal of physical 
success must have : a clean, pure mind. 
Without this he may never equal what 
[144] 



WEIGHT AND MEASUKEMENTS 

he might with a mind filled with noble, 
uplifting thoughts. Contests in swim- 
ming, wrestling, or any other sport 
may be kept free from dirty stories, 
foul language — everything evil. It is 
not difficult to keep all these bad in- 
fluences away, and certainly the lad 
who really wants to excel will endeavor 
to do this for the sake of his own 
physical perfection and skill. 



[145] 



CHAPTER XIV 

WORK AND PLAY 

TT70RK is healthy, but it fails to 
* * accomplish much toward devel- 
oping a symmetrical body. It is true 
that when the arm muscles are used 
day after day in performing one kind 
of work, they will become strong. But 
the rest of the muscles have not been 
benefited, and so the whole body is out 
of balance. 

There are a great many persons who 
have just such a form, and though 
they may be strong enough to do some 
things, they will readily tire if given 
anything which brings their unused 
[146] 



WORK AND PLAY 

muscles into play. It is just as if a 
musician were to play certain pieces 
day after day, without changing; or 
like a student in school who recites the 
same lessons all the time. There is no 
development nor improvement. 

But there is a means by which a 
boy may get all the good that he 
would receive if he were to do work 
that used all his muscles at one time. 
This is in play. It will liven up his 
whole system, and will bring almost 
all of his muscles into use. The lad 
who plays tennis is giving his back 
and legs, and his arms and chest, all, 
the very kind of exercise that they 
need, and at the same time has the 
joy of enlivened action. And it is 
the same in all other games which 
are played in the open. 
[147] 



PHYSICAL TRAINING FOE BOYS 

Of course, even games lose their 
value if continued too long, but when 
interspersed between working times, 
they supply the things which make 
health. This is especially true if the 
spirit of rivalry enters into the game ; 
the player forgets for the time every- 
thing but the contest, and the blood 
rushes through the arteries, purified 
by the air in the lungs ; the brain 
gets the training of quick action, and 
the muscles are put to the test of per- 
forming their work with all their 
strength, without hesitation, when 
called upon. 

And so, for the boy body-builders of 
the present, there is a wonderful oppor- 
tunity in the ordinary games which 
they play with their school friends and 
companions. These are the places 
[148] 



WOEK AND PLAY 

which will show them where they 
are weak and in what ways they are 
strong ; with this knowledge, gained 
from actual use of their muscles, they 
may know which parts need to be de- 
veloped by the special exercises which 
have been given in this little book. 

And coupling work and play, with 
the practice of these drills, they may 
far outstrip the athletes of the past, 
and set a standard for the future gen- 
erations — a standard that will mean 
purity of thought and action as well 
as faultless physical lines. This is the 
Opportunity of every boy of to-day. 

That a boy may begin while he is 

very young to make his body strong 

has been proven by Master Paul Maass, 

of New York, whose ambition to be- 

[149] 



PHYSICAL TRAINING FOE BOYS 

come a champion in athletics has in- 
spired him to practise many different 
exercises and drills until his muscles 
have become like steel. When Master 
Paul was only eleven and a half years 
old he could expand his chest three 
inches ; his height was four feet, eight 
inches, and he weighed seventy-three 
pounds. 

Paul has been very systematic in his 
training. He gets up in the morning 
at six o'clock, and immediately goes 
through his drills, the first of which is 
the performance of twenty different 
exercises, twenty times each ; this is 
followed by a swing on his trapeze, 
and a few moments of work with a 
dumb-bell. He next does a few stunts 
with Indian clubs, after which he has 
his bath, and then he is ready for 
[150] 





Paul. Maass. 



PHYSICAL TEAINING FOE BOYS 

his breakfast and school work ; his 
brain is clear and he is able to think 
and act quickly. Among his class- 
mates he ranks well as a scholar, and 
is as energetic in his study of books as 
he is in the exercise of his muscles. 
On Saturdays and holidays he fre- 
quently goes on long walks with his 
father, and these and his exercise 
morning and night keep him in the 
best of condition and are developing 
him into a splendid specimen of phys- 
ical development. 

Every boy may well study the broad, 
beautiful chest and the well-developed 
back and arm muscles as they are 
shown in his pictures ; and then, work- 
ing on the same plan that Paul has 
done may accomplish as much with 
his own body. Paul says, " In less 
[152] 



WOEK AND PLAY 

than six months one will notice a great 
change in his strength. " And this is 
encouragement indeed to all body- 
builders, both young and old. 

The boys of from twelve to fifteen have 
a high standard set for them by Robert 
Snyder, Jr., a young athlete whose home 
is in the Blue Ridge section of Maryland. 
When these pictures were taken Robert 
was only fourteen years old, and had 
been practising to develop his muscles 
for only two years. But during this 
short time he had become expert in 
performing on almost all kinds of gym- 
nastic apparatus, and had gained skill 
in both boxing and wrestling. Along 
in the first of his training he began 
practising lifting light weights and 
within a few months could lift two 
hundred pounds above his head with 
[153] 



PHYSICAL TKAINING FOE BOYS 

both hands, this being seventy-three 
pounds more than his own weight when 
stripped. 

The success which Robert has had in 
developing his body is probably due to 
the fact that he has studied its needs, 
and has given it the best of care. He 
hopes to become a professional " strong 
man," but realizing that a trained brain 
is as necessary as strong muscles, he is 
putting energy and determination into 
his high school work, where he has 
gained honors in composition and is a 
faithful student. 

But, though he has attracted the at- 
tention of many great athletes, Robert 
is not bragging of his attainments ; in- 
stead he only strives the harder to gain 
greater skill. And he will succeed for 
he says, " I positively do not dissipate 
[154] 




Tweed Stafford. 



PHYSICAL TBAINING FOE BOYS 

will make it his own. He expresses it 
thus : " I believe one should care for the 
body as he would for a fine piece of 
machinery, for such it is." Isn't this a 
grand idea, and doesn't it mean a great 
deal to think of the body as a wonderful 
machine with which you are intrusted, 
to keep in the best of "condition ? And 
more wonderful still is the fact that 
every boy can do this very thing : keep 
his own body in perfect running order. 
Besides having well-trained muscles 
Stafford has a mind which has been 
developed by education. He is a mod- 
est, retiring, gentlemanly young fellow, 
and is as pure in speech and action as 
he is perfect in physique. And why 
should he not be? These are all char- 
acteristics which help to keep the body 
clean and strong. 

[ 158 ] 



WOKK AND PLAY 

He is especially fond of boxing and 
wrestling, and these sports, coupled 
with constant practice and study of 
special exercises, have been the means 
by which he acquired the superb condi- 
tion which he has. Many physicians 
have stated that he is perfectly propor- 
tioned and so is worthy to be taken as 
a model by every lad who wishes to 
make the most of his own body. 

Living close to Nature, swimming, 
camping, and having a good time gen- 
erally has had a large part in the suc- 
cess of Wilbur B. Zeigler, a Pacific 
Coast boy. He has had camping trips, 
lasting two or three months at a time, 
ever since he was five ; sometimes he 
has been all alone in the camp among 
the redwoods for days together. 

But whether alone or with friends he 
[159] 



PHYSICAL TEAINIKG FOE BOYS 

follows certain methods in caring for 
his body. These include canoeing, 
swimming in the mountain streams, 
going without a hat, and with but little 
clothing ; and sometimes special exer- 
cises are included. Usually, though, he 
omits his regular course of drills when 
in camp. However, if he does this 
while living in the open he is sure to 
begin them again upon returning to his 
home. 

In speaking of his training Wilbur 
gives some hints that may be followed 
profitably by other boys. He says, " My 
hour for exercise is just after school, 
taking up on successive days different 
sets of muscles. For instance, on the 
first day, it's the muscles of my arms 
and shoulders ; on the next, the mus- 
cles of my back ; on the next, those of 
[160] 



PHYSICAL TEAINING FOE BOYS 

Young Russell spends his days work- 
ing, and in the evening does his exer- 
cising, using various kinds of apparatus. 
He uses heavy weights every day, and 
says that weight-lifting is largely re- 
sponsible for his splendid physique. 
His work on the lighter apparatus in 
the gymnasium where he spends his 
practice-hours has given him agility. 
Hence he has attained a high standard 
of general physical and mental effi- 
ciency. 

Edwin is fifteen, and already pos- 
sesses considerable skill in weight- 
lifting, wrestling, and other sports, 
while his muscles show remarkable 
development. 

Other lads who have only a short 
time each day in which to train their 
bodies may take courage from young 
[164] 



WORK AND PLAY 

Russell's success, which has been at- 
tained by making use of spare time. 

Some boys do not need to be very 
old in order to win honors in feats 
requiring both strength and skill. 

This is proven by ten-year-old Walter 
Laughton, who holds the Juvenile 
Wrestling Championship of Saskatche- 
wan, and who is, probably, the most 
able boy athlete in all Canada, as 
well. 

This young Canadian has his own 
little gymnasium fitted up in his 
father's barn, and he spends many 
hours each day working with dumb- 
bells and heavy weights, and practising 
his wrestling holds. 

Young Laughton has appeared fre- 
quently in public, demonstrating his 
ability to handle heavy weights, as 
[165] 



PHYSICAL TEAINING FOE BOYS 

well as participating in frequent wres- 
tling bouts. 

Walter can run and jump, as well as 
successfully compete in weight-lifting 
and wrestling, as is shown by numer- 
ous prizes which he has won in school, 
and other athletic events. 

Boy body-builders may find much of 
interest in this Northern lad's measure- 
ments, which show his splendid de- 
velopment : 

Height - - - - - - 4 ft. 4 iu. 

Calf - 10 " 

Neck - - - - 11. " 

Biceps- - - - - - - - - 8 " 

Thighs -------- 15 " 

Waist - - - - 221 " 

Chest (expanded) - - - - - 27 " 
(normal) - - - - - 25 u 

The lad of the present does not have 
the many statues of Apollo, which the 
first boy athletes had, as inspiration in 
[166] 




Walter Laughton. 



PHYSICAL TKAINING FOE BOYS 

their efforts to build beautiful bodies. 
But fortunately there have been men 
who have held the same high ideals of 
physical perfection, and who are living 
models for every boy. Of these there 
is none more representative than Mr. 
John Rowett, who has spent years in 
training and developing his muscles 
until he stands to-day a Twentieth- 
Century Apollo, flawless in every line 
of his body, and at the same time phys- 
ically and mentally alert and capable. 
(See Frontispiece.) 

Mr. Rowett is an American and has 
spent his life in the Great Lake section 
where he has taken advantage of the 
many opportunities for outdoor sports, 
and has in that way brought every part 
of his body into the best of condition. 
He is an accomplished swimmer, an 
[168] 



WOEK AND PLAY 

expert boxer, and has for a long time 
been world champion in Cornish Wres- 
tling. In speaking of this sport Mr. 
Rowett says, " It builds up muscle ; it 
helps the brain and eye ; to be a wres- 
tler you must be quick to see and act ; 
it is a good defense in case of attack ; 
to me it is the greatest of all games 
when it is on the square." And 
these are the characteristics which 
Mr. Rowett has acquired in goodly 
measure. More than this, he is a 
modest gentleman, and has a spotless 
character. He weighs, stripped, 185 
pounds, and is about five feet, nine 
inches in height. 

Besides his athletic activities Mr. 

Rowett has taken an active part in 

civic matters and has served as sheriff 

and game warden in some of the 

[169] 



PHYSICAL TEAINING FOE BOYS 

roughest districts in the mining settle- 
ments of Michigan. 

Through it all he has maintained 
such high ideals of manhood, physic- 
ally, mentally, and morally, that every 
boy may be proud to pattern his own 
life after this able man of the great 
North Woods. 



The End 



[170] 



The Book of Athletics 

Edited by PAUL WITHINGTON 

With many reproductions of photographs, and with diagrams 

8v# Net, $1.50 Postpaid, $1.70 

NEARLY thirty college stars and 
champions, men like Dr. Kraen- 
zlein, Thorpe, Ketcham, "Sammy" 
White, "Eddie" Hart, Ralph Craig, 
"Hurry Up" Yost, Jay Camp, Horner, 
Jackson, F. D. Huntington, R. Norris 
Williams, "Eddie" Mahan, and many 
more tell the best there is to tell about 
every form of athletic contest of con- 
sequence. In charge of the whole 
work is Paul Withington, of Harvard, 
famous as football player, oarsman, 
wrestler and swimmer. 

" Here is a book that will serve a purpose and satisfy a need. 
Every important phase of sport in school and college is discussed 
within its covers by men who have achieved eminent success in their 
line. Methods of training, styles of play, and directions for attaining 
success are expounded in a clear, forceful, attractive manner. " 

Harvard Monthly, 

"The book is made up under the direction of the best qualified 
editor to be found, Paul Withington, who is one of America's greatest 
amateur athletes, and who has the intellectual ability and high 
character requisite for presenting such a book properly. The emphasis 
placed upon clean living, fair play and moo ^ration in all things makes 
this book as desirable educationally as it iL in every other way." 

Outdoor Life 

"That Mr. Withington's book will be popular we do not doubt. 
For it contains a series of expert treatises on all important branches 
of outdoor sports. A very readable, practical, well-illustrated book.' 3 

Boston Herald 




For sale by all booksellers or sent on receipt of postpaid 
price by the publishers 

LOTHROP, LEE & SHEPARD CO., BOSTON 



PHILLIPS EXETER SERIES 

By A. T. DUDLEY 

Cloth, i2mo Illustrated by Charles Copeland Price per volume, $1.25 



FOLLOWING THE BALL 

HERE is an up-to-date story presenting American boarding-schoo) 
life and modern athletics. Football is an important feature, but it 
is a story of character formation in which athletics play an important part. 

•' Mingled with the story of football is another and higher endeavor, giving the 
book the best of moral tone."— Chicago Record-Herald. 

MAKING THE NINE 

•'T^HE life presented is that of a real school, interesting, diversified, 
X and full of striking incidents, while the characters are true and 
consistent types of American boyhood and youth. The athletics are 
technically correct, abounding in helpfull suggestions, and the moral 
tone is high and set by action rather than preaching. 

" The story is healthful, for, while it exalts athletics, it does not overlook the 
fact that studious habits and noble character are imperative needs for those who 
would win success in life." — Herald and Presbyter , Cincinnati* 

IN THE LINE 

TELLS how a stalwart young student won his position as guard, and 
at the same time made equally marked progress in the formation cf 
character. Plenty of jolly companions contribute a strong, humorous 
element, and the book has every essential of a favorite. 

" The book gives boys an interesting story, much football information, and many 
lessons in true manliness."— Watchman* Boston, 



With Mask and Mitt 

WHILE baseball plays an important part 
in this story, it is not the only element 
of attraction. While appealing to the natural 
normal tastes of boys for fun and interest in 
the national game, the book, without preach- 
ing, lays emphasis on the building up of 
character. 

"No normal boy who is interested in our great 
national ^ame can fail to find interest and profit, too, 
in this lively boarding school story." — Interior t 
Chicago. 




For sale by all booksellers or sent postpaid on receipt of price 
by the publishers, 

LOTHROP, LEE <& SHEPARD CO., BOSTON 



PHILLIPS EXETER SERIES 

By A, T. DUDLEY 
Cloth 12mo Illustrated Price per volume, $1.25 

THE GREAT YEAR 

""PHREE fine, manly comrades, respectively captains of the football, 
*• baseball, and track and field athletic teams, make a compact to sup- 
port each other so that they may achieve a "great year" of triple victory 
over their traditional rival, " Hillbury. " 

THE YALE CUP 

THHE "Cup" is an annual prize given by a club of Yale alumni to the 
* member of the Senior class of each of several preparatory schools 
"who best combines proficiency in athletics with good standing in his 
studies." 

A FULL-BACK AFLOAT 

AT the close of his firsi. year in college Dick Melvin is induced to earn 
a passage to Europe by helping on a cattle steamer. The work is not 
so bad, but Dick finds ample use for the vigor, self control, and quick 
wit in emergency which he has gained from football. 

THE PECKS IN CAMP 

THE Pecks are twin brothers so resembling each other that it was almost 
impossible to tell them apart, a fact which the roguish lads made the 
most of in a typical summer camp for boys. 

THE HALF-MI LER 

THIS is the story of a young man of posi- 
tive character facing the stern problem 
of earning his way in a big school. The 
hero is not an imaginary compound of 
superlatives, but a plain person of flesh and 
blood, aglow with the hopeful idealism of 
youth, who succeeds and is not spoiled by 
success. He can run, and he does run — 
through the story. 

11 It is a good, wholesome, and true-to life story, 
with plenty of happenings such as normal boys en 
joy reading about." — Brooklyn Daily Times. 




For sale by all booksellers or sent postpaid on receipt of 
price by the publishers 

LOTHROP, LEE & SHEPARD CO., BOSTON 




Stories of the Triangular League 

By A. T. DUDLEY 
Illustrated by Charles Copeland 12mo Cloth $1.25 each 

THE SCHOOL FOUR ~~ 

THE events of the story centre in the West- 
cott School, one of three which have 
formed a new league. The leading forms of 
athletics, including rowing, figure in the gain- 
ing of points towards a championship cup, and 
the rivalry is most intense. At Westcott's, 
the crowning student honor is the captaincy 
of the school four, and the way in which the 
succession to the coveted position falls to the 
one best deserving it forms the climax. Foot- 
ball is no less prominent in the progress of 
the story than rowing, and both general school 
life and competitive relations with other 
schools are set forth to the life. 

The tone of the book is manly, holding- up the honesty and true simplicity 
of the true athlete and setting up a high standard to the sport-loving boy. — ■ 
Public Ledger, Philadelphia, 

Mr. Dudley takes easy lead in strong, vigorous books for young America. — 
Interior, Chicago, 

At the Home Plate 

' I ^HE scene of this book is at a public 
■*■ school, "Newbury," which seeks to win 
a prize cup held by its rival, "Westcott's," 
the winner during the first year of the "Tri- 
angular League. ' ' This is hard to accomplish, 
and an important factor is a new student who 
had to overcome the handicap of being the 
brother of an unpopular teacher. There is 
good baseball in this book, but it is hardly 
more prominent than f.ootball and hockey. 

No boy who is interested in sports can fail tc find 
both pleasure and profit in this lively school story. — 
Portland (Me.) Express. 

A clean, wholesome and thoroughly entertaining tale that every boy ought 
to like. — Cincinnati Times-Star, 

The writer has a vigorous and vivid way of telling- his story, and it has every 
excellence that such a book should contain. — Buffalo News. 

For sale by all booksellers or sent postpaid on receipt of 
price by the publishers 

LOTHROP, LEE & SHEPARD CO., Boston 




THE BOY ELECTRICIAN 

Practical Plans for Electrical Toys and Apparatus, with an 
Explanation of the Principles of Every-Day Electricity 

By ALFRED P. MORGAN 

Author of " Wireless Telegraphy Construction for Amateurs" and 

"Wireless Telegraphy and Telephony" 300 illustrations 

and working drawings by the author Net, $2.00 

Postpaid, $2.25 



THIS is the age of electricity. The most 
fascinating of all books for a boy must, 
therefore, be one dealing with the mystery of 
this ancient force and modern wonder. The 
best qualified of experts to instruct boys has 
in a book far superior to any other of its kind 
told not only how to MAKE all kinds of 
motors, telegraphs, telephones, batteries, 
etc., but how these appliances are used in 
the great industrial world. 



"Of all books recently published on practical electricity for the youth- 
ful electricians, it is doubtful if there is even one among them that is more 
suited to this held. This work is recommended to every one interested in 
electricity and the making of electrical appliances." 

Popular Electricity and Modern Mechatiics 

"This is an admirably complete and explicit handbook for boys who fall 
under the spell of experimenting and "tinkering" with electrical apparatus. 
Simple explanations of the principles involved make the operation readily 
understandable." Boston Transcript, 

"Any boy who studies this book, and applies himself to the making and 
operating of the simple apparatus therein depicted, will be usefully and happily 
employed. He will, furthermore, be developing into % useful citizen. For this 
reason we recommend it as an excellent gift for all boys with energy, appli. 
cation, and ambition." Electrical Record, N. Y. City. 

"A book to delight the hearts often thousand — perhaps fifty thousand — 
American boys who are interested in wireless telegraphy and that sort of thing. 
Any boy who has even a slight interest in things eiectricarl, will kindle with 
enthusiasm at sight of this book." Chicago JVewt:. 




For sale by all booksellers or seat postpaid on receipt of 
price by the publishers 

LOTHROP, LEE & SHEPARD CO., BOSTON 



THE HANDY BOY 

A Modern Handy Book of Practical and Profitable Pastimes 

By A. NEELY HALL 

Author of "The Boy Craftsman" and 
"Handicraft for Handy Boys" 

With nearly 600 illustrations and working drawings by 

the Author and Norman P. Hall 8vo Cloth 

Price, Net, $ 1 . 60 Postpaid, $ 1 .82 

A HANDY boy becomes a handy man — a ( 
**■ skilled mechanic, a practical business 
man, a thorough, accurate worker. That is 
why it is so important to encourage the boy to , 
become handy. "The Handy Boy " has been 
written with a view to instructing the boy in 1 
the ways of doing things handily, by applying | 
handy methods to the making and doing of 1 
hundreds of worth-while things in which he is ■& 
intensely interested. Such instruction as it I 
contains can be put to immediate use; and I 
this naturally appeals to the boy's sense of the 
practical and is of infinitely more value to him j 
than instruction which cannot possibly be of 
any use for years to come, because knowledge 

once applied is not easily forgotten. 

Besides developing handiness, "The Handy Boy" will encourage the 

boy to think for himself and to use his ingenuity ; and it will instill in him 

an ambition to make the best possible use of his time so that he may grow 

up prepared to do something and be something. 

" Mr. Hall's book is just the thing- to put into the growing- boy's hand to keep 
him successfully and happily employed." — Des Moines Capital, 

" The best book of its kind that has yet been published." — Boston Transcript. 

"There is scarcely any boy from twelve to sixteen or seventeen that will not be 
delighted with such a book, and no one would fail to receive much valuable infor- 
mation from it." — Presbyterian. 

"Here is a book that should be in the library of every healthy, ambitious 
American boy." — Buffalo Commercial. 

" No other volume cor f ains such a variety of wholesome, instructive, and entev 
taining material, nor presents so many ways of making use of the things at hand.' 
— Chicago Advance. . 




For sale by all booksellers or seat postpaid on receipt of 
price by the publishers 

L0THR0P, LEE & SHEPARD CO., BOSTON 



